IM had plans to target Akshardham temple, Pune's army cant: NIA

Updated: Monday, February 24, 2014, 19:42 [IST]

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New Delhi, Feb 24: Delhi's Akshardham Temple and Pune's Army cantonment area were on top of Indian Mujahideen's (IM) target list, the NIA has said in its charge sheet filed against its co-founder Yasin Bhatkal and his three aides.

In its second charge sheet, the NIA said that according to data retrieved from the laptops recovered from Bhatkal and his aide Asadullah Akhtar, members of the IM were carrying out reconnaissance of these places.

"The files named as... are the photographs of Kirkee area in Pune (Army cantonment) which was sent by Riyaz Bhatkal to accused Asadullah Akhtar through Internet in order to carry out a reconnaissance during the month of January/February 2012 while Waqas and he were staying in the hideout located at Loni, near Loni Medical college in Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra," the NIA said.

It further said, "files named as ... are the photographs of Akshardham temple in Delhi. Investigation revealed that accused Md Ahmed Siddibapa (Yasin Bhatkal) went there for the purpose of recce. This established the design of the accused persons for conducting future attacks." NIA also said that according to data saved in the laptops, there were "details about the different modules of guerrilla warfare and various types of explosives."

"The possession of this document which the accused persons clearly establishes the nefarious designs to carry terrorist attacks in order to wage war against the government of India," the probe agency said. The charge sheet has been filed before a court here which today took cognisance of the NIA's final report and posted the matter for further hearing on March 7.